Learning Objectives: - Team work, communication and cooperation.- To Create a working style and each build character within this style- To animate a chess game with a classmate (real game or otherwise)

The Assignment

1. You are a group of 6 and you must create the players on one side of a chess board and add surfaces (texture is optional)2. You need to import all your groups pieces onto a board and add the lighting3. You and one member from a different group should animate a chess game.The animation can last for as long as you want it too but must have an end and have APPEAL. You can either:a) complete a game with a series of simple movesb) make one move each with

One chess set side contains the follow from left top to bottom right:1 x Queen1 x King2 x Bishop2 x Knight2 x Castle8 x PawnOf course you don't need to make double or 8 different pawns, you just need to duplicate later.The first thing you'll need to decide, as a group, is;what is the theme?Brain storm some ideas.Draw some ideas.Some inspiration and variety below

An example of typical chess pieces

how to insure all your players look similar and fit your theme.

You need to set-up some rules for the design of the pieces. You are not going to add the surface yet but it should be the same later.What other rules should you have?The base should always be the same?Spend some time to write down the rules and make sure everyone in the group has them.

Tutorials

It's absolutely fine to look at tutorials to make chess pieces but your final product must fit the group theme. I recommend sharing the tutorials within your group so you're on the same page.Here is a great app called BTG: Part 1. It's free and you can get it from the App store and it's specifically for making chess pieces!

Creating the full set

Make a shared folder and upload all your groups work into that folder. Next you'll need the board. Here's one made for you!

The board

Now you can import the different pieces inside, as well as another groups work. Duplicate where you need. Here's how the chess pieces should be be up

Lights....

Do you want your lighting to be dramatic or natural? Do you want it to have a color tint or a clinical white? What kind of shadows do you want?In this image, how is the board lit? What is the effect?

camera....

From where do you want the camera to be? Why do you want it to be here? What effect does it give?Will you have one camera, or two? Or more? WhyWhere is the camera in this image and what has just happened in the game, do you think?

Action!!!

These are quite advanced examples so you don't need to make it as advanced as this, however what can you learn from watching these videos? What will you take away or apply to your own?- the jump- the anticipation- the wobble- the bend and stretchRemember - these are characters - give them a life!!

for submission

What you need to submit:1. As a group: A brain storm of ideas and drawing for your theme2. A design of your chess piece in the form of a drawing3. Maya file of your chess piece name NICKNAME_mychesspiece.ma4. A fully rendered image of your piece with it's textures and surfaces and lighting NICKNAME_renderchesspiece.jpg5. IN a pair: Maya file of full board with yours and a friends pieces on, including lighting and camera. NICKNAMES_FullBoard.ma6. In a Pair: Rendered image of full board NICKNAMES_Fullboard.jpg7. IN a Pair: Movie file of your completed animation NICKNAMES_animatedchess.mov